Golden in Death (In Death 50)

cord off.”

“Well, Kobash knows he’s got a liar for a client,” Reo said cheerfully once the door closed behind them. “And he’s wondering if he’s got worse. So … cold drinks? I’m buying.”

“Tube of Pepsi,” Eve said.

“Diet of same, thanks.”

Reo started toward Vending, met Mira as the doctor stepped out of Observation. After a quick word, Mira continued toward Eve and Peabody on canary-yellow heels that matched her slim dress and jacket.

“His lies aren’t holding.” Mira glanced toward the interview room door. “So he’ll shift them. I suspect he’ll shift any blame to Cosner. After all, Cosner can’t contradict him.”

“Yeah, I’m with you there.”

“He feels entitled to lie, as he was entitled to punish those who offended or betrayed him—or who simply became inconvenient. He doesn’t fully recognize, certainly doesn’t respect, your authority over him. And it infuriates him. He has no feelings of guilt or remorse, even doubt, to trip him up. It’s his anger that will.”

“Piss him off. That’s a win-win for us, right, Peabody?”

“Like winning the lottery and having crazy sex with Tiger Bellows.”

“Who the hell is Tiger Bellows?”

“He’s a vid star,” Mira supplied, smiling. “And he is dreamy.”

“Oh, did you see him in Surrender?” Carting tubes, Reo sighed.

“Those eyes.” Peabody closed her own. “You just want to melt.”

“Great, good to know.” Eve snatched her tube. “Maybe we could, I don’t know, segue back to nailing this murdering bastard.”

“I can tell you the IDs threw Kobast off his stride, and he’s pushing Whitt to explain.” Reo passed out the rest of the tubes, including Mira’s cold tea.

“He won’t tell his lawyer the truth,” Mira said.

“Oh, we’re used to being lied to. Kobast is a vet.”

“And Whitt’s a lying, murdering, homicidal sociopath,” Eve added. “He’s also the spoiled, pampered, rich son of an important family. People are supposed to clean up his messes.”

Eve pulled out her signaling ’link. “I’ve got some incomings.” She stepped away to take them, paced as she read. Walking back into a discussion on where Mira got the canary-yellow shoes didn’t dim her smile.

“Did you win the lottery?” Peabody wondered.

“The forensic lottery, yeah. Here’s what we’ve got, and how we’re going to use it.”

The twenty minutes Kobash spent conferring with his client gave Eve plenty of time to outline the strategy. She walked back into Interview, restarted the record, set down the evidence box.

“My client,” Kobast began, “in a mistaken yet understandable attempt to protect his oldest friend, one he’s just learned has died, has shaded the truth on certain matters.”

“Lied?” Eve supplied, and Kobast ignored her.

“He will make a brief statement, explaining how certain items in evidence came into his possession.”

“Well, we’re all ears.”

“I noticed Marsh was acting strange,” Whitt began. “Nervous, excited, angry, all over the map. I thought … well, it’s no secret Marsh had an illegals issue. I suspected he was using again, even tried to talk to him about it. He blew me off. When I found out he had some sort of deal going with Sanchez, I tried to talk to him again. Sanchez had been supplying Marsh with illegals since high school.”

“Only Marsh?”

Whitt cast his eyes down. “I’m not going to deny I experimented a little in high school, but I don’t use. But Marsh…”